As Close As You Can Get
by Ikedas
Summary: A simple school girl is thrown into the high life after her mother marries possibly the richest man in Japan. Can she take refuge in her old life to preserve a new-found friendship against the resentment from her peers and having Kikyo as a stepsister?
1. Shikota Kagome

Well, those who are waiting patiently for me to continue with An A in Three Weeks probably want to have a lynching party with yours truly, but please hear me out. Uhm....*crickets* Ok, so I don't have any brilliant excuse, not that that will appease you any more, but I really am sorry for not updating my first baby before taking on another one. I just had this mad urge to write something like what you see here after watching a couple episodes of Pretear, but by no means is this story going in that direction. I just took the whole poor family marrying into rich as hell family and making Kagome go through all the troubles I can conjure up from there (some stolen from Pretear, too, I'm almost ashamed to add). THERE WILL BE NO MAGIC GIRL THEMES!! Anyway, I better shut my yap and let you get on with reading, if any of you are still interested...  
  
DISCLAIMER: It's laughable to think I can come up with such an ingenious story as Inu-Yasha, and while I'm flattered you may think so, I don't own the rights to anything. That happy copyright belongs to dear beloved Takahashi-san. Oh, don't own Pretear either, but I didn't take too much from it.  
  
As Close As You Can Get  
By Lady Morn  
Chapter 1: Shikota Kagome  
  
A raven-haired girl stepped out of a limo and stood by it in wonder. Her hand lifted involuntarily to her mouth, parted in awe, eyes filling to capacity at the wealth that lay before her. She half expected the scene to poof in front of her eyes as she groggily woke from this unbelievable dream, but it was real. It was all, one hundred percent real.  
  
"Kagome, dear, it's unseemly to stare with your mouth open."  
  
"Mom, you're doing it, too."  
  
A jovial voice chuckled behind them, "I hope this isn't too shabby for you ladies."  
  
The two snapped around to face a tall man wearing a clearly expensive business suit, eyes sparkling in contrast to the professional attire. Kagome's mother's expression melted into a soft smile as she went to hug her new husband.  
  
"This is almost too good to be true. It's just so much."  
  
The man smiled down at his new wife, and looked over her head to address Kagome kindly, "I hope you like this place as much as your mother, Kagome."  
  
"I...It's...It's beautiful. It's completely unbelievable," Kagome stammered, still trying to take in the splendor of the estate.  
  
Her stepfather laughed lightly. "I'm glad you approve, and I promise you'll get used to it. Come; let's go meet your new stepsisters."  
~*~  
"Wow..." Kagome's eyes threatened to fall out of her head if she opened them any wider. The interior of the mansion was even more impressive than the outside, and that was hard to grasp for a relatively poor girl like Kagome. Before this new marriage Kagome lived a plain, simple life in her grandfather's shrine. After her father died in a car accident, her family had gotten by with what the shrine brought in and the untaxed land it sat on. And now, in face of the grandeur of perhaps the richest man in Japan, Kagome was entitled to feeling a little light-headed.  
  
"Kikyo! Kaede! Come meet your new sister!"  
  
Kagome surveyed her surroundings, wondering how effective the summon could be if they weren't in the near vicinity. The room she was in was like a ballroom, numerous doors leading down expansive halls and rooms and a twin stair case curling up to the second floor. A delicate chandelier hung from the ceiling, the many crystals shaping it into a flower-like design, though which Kagome couldn't tell. Also on the ceiling was a beautiful fresco style painting. It depicted various gods and goddesses residing in their land above the clouds, looking down on the viewer, as she imagined real gods must with a mortal. Along the walls were displayed other rare art pieces her stepfather had collected and no doubt wanted to show off. Shifting her gaze to the floor, she marveled at the plush deep green rug stationed in front of the door, moving on to the perfectly polished mahogany hardwood floor.  
Kagome didn't have too much time to fully take in the marvels of the house. Soft, barely audible footsteps signaled the entrance of two girls she assumed were Kikyo and Kaede, her new sisters. The thought of suddenly having two sisters when she had only a younger brother was exciting as well as mind-boggling. Her mind suddenly filled with images of sisterly-bonding, girl talks stretching throughout the night, playing with each other's hair, and just having someone of the same gender who can understand you the way her younger brother, as much as she loved him, cannot.  
Her father grinned when he saw his children, and clapped a hand around their shoulders, full of pride. "Kikyo, Kaede, I'd like you to meet your stepmother and stepsister, Kagome."  
Kagome held back a gasp when she saw that the girl facing her, Kikyo, looked almost exactly like her, only she possessed a sophisticated quality Kagome could never hope to have. Her eyes had an elegant slant to them, expression guarded and holding traces of contempt. Kikyo's hair was also much longer and sleeker than Kagome's slightly wavy mass of hair. She gulped, the short-lived fuzzy ideas of bonding with her new sisters flying out the window, all five stained glassed of them.  
Smiling nervously, Kagome extended a hand toward her in friendship.  
  
"It's nice to meet you."  
  
"We shall see about that," Kikyo replied, ignoring her hand, severe eyes still trained on Kagome until she felt like Kikyo was delving beneath her, exposing all her secrets and faults. She shivered and lowered her arm. Glancing to the side, she noticed her second stepsister, Kaede, and instantly smiled again. Kaede, though exhibiting many similar features of her sister, was smiling with the curious innocence of a young child. She was only four years younger than Kagome, the same age as Souta, but her slight stature and delicate-seeming build made her look even younger. Kagome extended her hand again to make her greetings.  
  
"Hello, Kaede, it's a pleasure meeting you, too."  
  
Kaede looked up at Kagome appraisingly, and as if making a decision on her character, gave a small nod of approval and shook her hand, smiling warmly.  
  
"Same here."  
  
"Now that we're all acquainted, Kikyo, Kaede, would you two please show Kagome around? You have loads of time to get familiar with this sprawling mess of a house before dinner," her stepfather said, eyes twinkling. He placed an arm around her mother's waist, making her blush faintly. "It would probably be best to show her up to her room first, your mother and I have something we need to take care of. See you three at dinner then." And with a warm smile he lead Kagome's mother away, both looking ridiculously in love and giggly, even though they weren't giggling.  
Kagome looked back at her new sisters, unsure of what to do. Kikyo turned to go after a few moments of silence, striding out of the room as quiet and sedate as she had entered. When the last of her footsteps faded, Kagome and Kaede looked at each other, and laughed nervously.  
  
"Haha, this is so silly of us, family now and still feeling like strangers," Kagome stammered, feeling the impending sense of stupidity as anyone who had to break the ice has felt. But Kaede just smiled again, and grabbed Kagome's hand, leading her up the stairs.  
  
"Yes, well, we are still strangers, you know. But I'm sure we'll get to know each other in time. Meanwhile, I better do as Dad said and show you around." She looked up at Kagome with a grin. "No matter what Dad says this place is still big enough to get lost in."  
~*~  
"Oh, it's almost time for dinner. Hurry, we'd better wash up and get to the dining room. If there's one thing my Dad gets really annoyed about it's being late for dinner. He thinks meal times are strictly family time, no excuses." Kaede paused a moment, eyes lighting up with laughter, "Well, with one exception..." she said slyly, trailing off. With a chuckle she trotted off, leaving Kagome to head back to the house, their tour having ended at the gardens.  
  
"What? What's the exception? Kaede, tell me!"  
  
Kagome chased after her, feeling the urge to laugh herself. They had gotten, if not closer, more familiar during the short hours. Kagome felt comfortable with Kaede, able now to joke with her, and was sure they'd become close friends. Kaede was a cheerful child, very much like Souta, now that she thought about it. She was clearly very intelligent, pointing out interesting pieces of art and styles of architecture and showed exceptional knowledge of botany during their walk through the gardens. She just had this quiet, almost timid air about her, not quite shy but unwilling to step fully out into the spotlight. Kagome felt content knowing she was making progress fitting into the family so different to what she was used to.  
  
Dinner was quite an...interesting affair. Kikyo, as stony as ever, arrived a few minutes later than Kagome and Kaede, ignoring everyone as she sat down save for a short "Father" and briefest of nods to greet the parents. A bland glance served as a response for Kagome's hello, and she caught Kaede in an unreadable expression before focusing her attentions to her food for the remainder of the meal. The adults were too busy being lovey-dovey to notice the slightly uncomfortable atmosphere around Kagome and Kikyo, and Kaede took it in as the norm, applying herself to her dinner and occasionally chatting with Kagome. As the family engaged in dessert, her mother and father broke away from their newlywed bubble to pay attention to their daughters.  
Kagome's mother gave her a warm smile and said, "I trust you've had a nice day, Kagome. I'm sure you've gotten acquainted with this place and your sisters by now."  
  
"Yes," her father added, "Kikyo and Kaede are making things comfortable for you I hope."  
  
"Oh yes, of course," Kagome replied hastily, "They've been very helpful. I'm really starting to feel at home here." She looked down, a little uncomfortable with her not quite lie. She really didn't know how she felt about the whole thing; everything was being thrown at her so quickly.  
  
"We're glad, dear. It means so much that you're happy here," her mother said with such maternal warmth that Kagome felt truly happy she was there, her misgivings melting away. The feeling quickly passed when the moment was interrupted with a clink of silverware and a scrape of the chair.  
  
"I'm finished. If you would excuse me, I have an engagement with my friends." She looked at her father, "I'll be back around 11:30, the movie isn't that long."  
  
"Well, if you're sure you won't be back too late. I was hoping you'd spend more time getting to know your new family, but I guess there's plenty of time for that," her father said, smiling toward his wife. Kikyo tensed a fraction, but got up to leave without another word.  
Kagome watched her leave, staring at the way she left for a while before putting down her fork and pushing away her plate.  
  
"I'd better go fix up my room and sleep. It's been a long day."  
  
"Oh, of course dear. Pleasant dreams," her mother said.  
  
Kagome felt small and misplaced walking down the halls toward her room alone. The lurching walls and high domed ceiling echoed her every step, and she longed for the cozy warmth the shrine house offered. Once she found her bedroom after just two wrong turns, Kagome flopped onto her new humongous four poster bed. Staring into the gauzy dark blue canopy, she thought about her old home, wondering how her grandfather and brother were doing, if they had dinner yet, if they missed her. Her grandfather had refused to leave the shrine, rooted to the land that's been in his family since forever. Since they had come from a long line of mikos and priests, Souta stayed to train and carry on the family business. That and because he didn't want to transfer to a new school in his last year of elementary. Kagome could move since she was starting high school anyway. She sighed, burying herself with a fluffy down pillow. It still meant she was separated from her friends, now expected to attend the same private school as Kikyo instead of the public school she planned on going to with the rest of her friends. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she wished she didn't have to give up everything to be in this alien environment.  
Kagome felt instantly guilty, finding herself complain, even if only inwardly, of her good fortune. Her stepfather was kind enough to send her to a private school, to house her in this beautiful mansion, to accept her as one of his own daughters. And here she was being ungrateful. Rubbing the almost tears away, Kagome sat up, deciding to arrange her room like she told her mother. The task took hours, everything she unpacked catching her up in memories. She spent long minutes gazing into picture frames, remembering when each was captured and what they had been doing. She sighed over various trinkets and presents from her friends, thinking back to the last year before graduation when all her friends teased her about Hojo. She smiled remembering the odd gifts he had given her, most of which her grandfather owned now. But even when everything was unpacked and arranged as she liked it, the room still looked empty, her fifteen years of possessions unable to fill the significantly larger room. Nonetheless as she brushed herself off, Kagome looked around and felt satisfied that it looked a little more like home. Feeling a little grimy from all the dust and cleaning she headed toward her own bathroom to wash up, when she heard a faint shuffle outside her bedroom. Changing directions, Kagome opened her door to see what it was, and found herself facing Kikyo.  
  
"Oh, Kikyo, it's just you. Did you have a good time at the movies?"  
  
Kikyo gave Kagome the same steady look she gave her the first time they met. In a quiet, almost condescending voice, she said, "You may be my new stepsister, but don't think you can become part of this family. You can never uphold the name Shikota."  
  
With that she made her way to her own room a few doors down from Kagome's. Kagome stood, quiet and hurt, wondering what she had done to merit such hostility from Kikyo. Turning slowly she stepped back into her own room, leaning on the door after she closed it. Eyes trained on the carpet, Kagome smiled sadly. 'Shikota...that's right, I'm Shikota Kagome now.' 


	2. Higurashi Kagome

AN IMPORTANT NOTE FOR READERS OF An "A" in Three Weeks: Please don't hate me for writing this story when I should have been chipping away at my writer's block for An "A". I've decided to give up on the evil track of writer's doom I somehow went down and start almost all over. I'm aiming for some heavy editing and have no idea how much I'll change. Maybe a lot, maybe nothing at all, but I won't know until I finish going over it. So please be patient while I try to get my story into gear. In the mean time, please enjoy this better planned out story (I made sure of it before I started writing. See, I AM capable of learning from my mistakes after all. ^^). It has kind of the same feel as An "A" but I'm going with more conventional themes. I hope you enjoy this little offering!  
  
As Close As You Can Get  
By Lady Morn  
Chapter 2: Higurashi Kagome  
  
Kagome woke up in a panic until she remembered why she wasn't in her cozy, familiar bedroom back in the shrine. She flopped back into her pillow rubbing at her eyes in relief only to bolt up again at the sudden knock on her door and a maid sticking her head in.  
  
"Miss Kagome? Your parents wanted me to check if you're up and to tell you that breakfast is ready. Would you be needing any help getting dressed?"  
  
Kagome looked at her in confusion and shook her head. "Why would I need help getting dressed? Thank you for the offer but I can manage. Will you tell them I'll be down in a moment?"  
  
The maid acknowledged the request and bowed before quietly closing the door. Kagome shook her head again, unaccustomed to waking up to the large bedroom and the maid. She wondered how foolish the rich must be, if the maid's offer to help her dress was any indication of their strange lifestyle. She grimaced as she realized that lifestyle was now hers, and she better get used to it.  
In record time Kagome showered and dressed to get out of the uncomfortable spaciousness of a bathroom that was all hers and a room more than twice the size of what she was used to. It was strange to know she could have taken as long as she wanted with no fear of a pesky little brother to bang on the door demanding she get out every ten minutes. As she made her way down to the dining room, Kagome met up with Kaede. They exchanged good mornings and sat down at the table.  
  
"Good morning mom, Mr. Shikota."  
  
"Oh come now, Kagome, you can call me Dad. Mr. Shikota is definitely too formal, we're family now." He said it with a warm smile that swept through Kagome, feeling the warm weight of "father" she hadn't felt, or thought she would ever feel again, since her father died when she was young. She found herself smiling, too.  
  
"Alright, Dad."  
  
The familial atmosphere dampened when Kikyo swept in, immaculate as always. She made the necessary greetings and immediately applied herself to breakfast. Mr. Shikota, either not noticing the sudden drop of warmth in mood or used to Kikyo's manner heartily addressed his daughter.  
  
"Kikyo, I hope you had a good night with your friends. I didn't hear you come in last night but I trust you weren't too late?" He left the end of his sentence open in question, eyebrows slightly raised.  
  
"I came home at 11:30, as promised. Kagome," here she turned to regard Kagome as if daring her to contradict her, "saw me come in."  
  
Kagome gulped unnoticeably, "Uh...yeah, Kikyo came home on time. I saw her come in while I was getting ready for bed."  
  
Kikyo gave Kagome a faintly approving glance before eating again, and Mr. Shikota was apparently satisfied with the matter because he, too, resumed eating. All was quiet for the duration of the meal, only the faint clinking of silverware heard. It all made Kagome a touch uncomfortable, used to the rambunctious meals with her family back at the shrine.  
In the silence Kagome drifted off in daydream, wondering what she could do today. School didn't start until tomorrow, and she inwardly grimaced at the thought of having to attend a stuffy private school. It was a massive school split into elementary, junior high and senior high divisions, so students rarely mingle with anyone outside of the exclusive school. Graduates invariably entered the most prestigious universities or took over family businesses. Kagome mechanically ate while wondering not for the first time how on this green earth she was to fit into such an established atmosphere. Her thoughts jarred when Kikyo scraped her chair back with a biting, "Why?"  
  
"Because Kagome needs to get acquainted with the neighborhood. We can't have her getting lost in an unfamiliar area and you're free today, aren't you?" Mr. Shikota said, surprise in his voice. Kagome glanced around, wondering what she had missed.  
  
"I have enough things to do without playing tour guide. Kagome's old enough to find things for herself without my being an escort," she retorted tonelessly.  
  
Kagome felt an unpleasant lump form in her throat, and tried twice before she could speak around it. "I-It's alright...Dad. Kikyo's right, I can find my way around myself. I don't want to be a burden since she's busy." Kagome hesitated and forced a smile, "Besides, I haven't moved so far away that I'd get lost."  
  
"Alright then, if you're sure, Kagome," Mr. Shikota said a little hesitantly, glancing at Kikyo. She let nothing show through her marble expression, and silently stood to leave the room. Kagome sighed and took a few more half-hearted bites of her breakfast before excusing herself to go back to her room. Once there she busied herself straightening knick-knacks, making her bed, dusting shelves, anything to distract herself for a bit. When there was nothing else to do Kagome went out on her balcony and stared down into the huge front lawn. It wasn't long until she saw a limo drive up and Kikyo get in. As she watched Kikyo leave, Kagome decided to follow up on her comment at the breakfast table. She could discover the neighborhood herself, and have a heck of a lot more fun doing it.  
  
After fifteen minutes of scurrying around her room deciding what she needed Kagome finally emerged with her keys, cell phone, wallet, and camera all tucked into her trusty light blue messenger bag. Slipping into a light jacket she bounded down the stairs, each step happier with the prospect of exploring a new side of the city on such a glorious day. She awkwardly told the butler where she was going as she left, used to just shouting her plans back to whoever was listening back at the shrine. However, once free of the imposing mansion, Kagome brightened, and took in the beautiful spring day; granted spring hadn't officially started yet. 'Hmmm...where should I go first? I wonder....'  
  
Kagome grinned, standing in front of a dimly lit room interrupted with erratically flashing lights. 'They have it...'  
After shyly asking for directions and wandering around a huge mall, much bigger than the one she used to go to, Kagome finally rediscovered her holy land, the arcade. Without further hesitation Kagome walked confidently in, licking her lips in anticipation. She knew exactly where she wanted to go. After exchanging ten dollars worth of tokens, Kagome scouted the crowded room for her favorite game, and managed to find a free machine among the familiar pandemonium. Almost giddy with excitement, Kagome slid into the booth, propping her bag on the seat next to her. She hardly felt the pang of disappointment of having to play one-player as she slid in tokens to start her game, and all such thoughts were forgotten when the screen flashed to introduce a saliva-dripping, car crushing T-Rex. Kagome smiled, picking up the plastic blue gun. Dinosaur hunting time.  
  
"Die you stupid dinosaur, die!!" Kagome screeched at the screen, pulling furiously at the trigger. This was so much easier with another player to cover for her, it was almost too much for her to handle. She concentrated on all the target areas when the rampaging T-Rex's partner suddenly threw a Jeep at her. A string of epithets issued from her grim lips. One life left, Dino's goin' down. Kagome began to launch another round of bullets at the tag team dinosaurs when an oblivious boy almost shoved her out of her seat as he slid in.  
  
"Hey! What the heck do you think you're doing?"  
  
Distracted, Kagome was immediately killed a third time by the same dinosaur, her last life gone and the annoying "Continue?" message counting down on the screen. Furious, she turned her anger toward the rude bastard who interrupted her game.  
  
"You just got me killed! Who do you think you are shoving your way into the middle of someone else's game?"  
  
"Who am I?! You're the one who's invading MY game! Who do you think YOU are trying to play MY game?"  
  
"YOUR game?! How on earth is it YOUR game, you egomaniac! You can't just make claims on anything you want!"  
  
"Obviously you're new if you don't know I DO own this game." Something about the way the boy smirked grated on Kagome's nerves, and she wanted nothing more than to knock that arrogance out of him, tooth by tooth. Just as she was about to launch into another retort another voice spoke from the little doorway.  
  
"Hey Inu-Yasha, what's all the screaming about?"  
  
He snorted. "Nothing important, just some idiot wench who doesn't know any better." Turning back to her with a sneer he spoke in a mockingly condescending tone, "Look, girl, just get the hell out of here. Save your money for lipstick since you probably can't shoot worth anything anyway."  
  
Kagome was speechless for all of two seconds, and rounded on him with renewed heights of anger and indignation. "Why you....you arrogant, rude, chauvinistic jerk! I can shoot better than you ever can ever hope to and I am not leaving this game just because some idiot too full of himself tells me to, especially not when I have 6 credits left on this thing. If you're so confident I "can't shoot worth anything" then I challenge you. First one to lose all their lives forfeits the machine to with winner." Kagome tilted her chin up in defiance, pressing start to begin again, the timer for continue having run out a while ago. He glared back at her with flames of war blazing in his violet eyes. Inserting the right amount of tokens in the machine, he grabbed the red gun from its holster and slammed start, too.  
  
"You're on."  
  
~*~  
  
"Haha! You just shot a person! I thought you said you can shoot better than me," Kagome reminded him sweetly, eyes still on the screen. The boy shot her a quick, heated glare before giving all his attention to the swarm of small carnivorous dinosaurs.  
  
""And I suppose YOU can shoot those stupid things off without killing the idiot?" he retorted angrily, blowing up several of the reptiles trying to leap at him in succession. Kagome's lips curled into a confident smile.  
  
"Cover me for a moment and I'll show you what I can do." She licked her lips and took aim, firing a quick round picking off the dinosaurs ravaging some poor soul without further harm to the victim. Crisis over, Kagome got a hefty point bonus, and she turned to smile smugly at the boy scowling at her.  
  
"Keh, you got lucky."  
  
"Uh uh uh, not luck, skill," she chirped happily, turning back to the game to destroy more escaped lab experiments.  
  
~*~  
  
It was almost half an hour later and Kagome was still playing against the rude jerk. Oddly enough sometime in the middle the game ceased to be a matter of survival and more of skill. Both were down to their last life and instead of allowing each other to be killed off, helped cover for each other to move on to the next level. Of course after saving the other's life either she or he would gloat and be irritatingly smug until come time for the other to return the favor. A somewhat small crowd had gathered to watch the pair fascinated with the length of the game and skill in their shooting. And, even more intriguing than the game, everyone wanted to see who the girl was. Knowing the boy's reputation, she had to be something special to be going against him.  
Sometime later, cheers erupted from the mob around the small section of the already small arcade. The two players slumped back into their seats, small beads of sweat forming on their brow. Kagome slipped her gun back into the holder, and turned to smile at the boy who was smirking triumphantly at the screen proclaiming their victory. They had beat the game.  
  
"Well, I guess you weren't all just talk."  
  
"Keh, watch what you say, wench. Anyone who knows me knows how great I am."  
  
"Well I didn't know you. Actually, I still don't. What's your name anyway?"  
  
He tilted his gaze at her innocent question from an innocent face. Something jumped in him and he was quick to squash it down, looking away.  
  
"Keh, I don't need to tell you. Haven't you been taught to introduce yourself first before asking someone else?"  
  
Kagome scowled. "Well sheesh, if you're going to be so snippy about it." Taking a glance at her watch, her eyes widened and she scrambled out of the booth to push through the throng of people just beginning to dissipate.  
  
"Omigod it's five thirty!! How did it get so late?! I have half an hour before I'm late to dinner; must get home. Dad'll freak. Ugh...er...which way was home again..." Her frantic mumbling to herself faded as she charged out of the arcade, apparently forgetting just about everything else, including her messenger bag. Inu-Yasha continued to look curiously toward the direction she sped off into, and then toward her bag. He thought for a moment before picking it up, deciding to take it with him.  
  
"Isn't that stealing, Inu-Yasha? And a girl's bag no less."  
  
"She's the one who left it here, it's up for grabs."  
  
"Why are you taking it anyway?" his voice implying things Inu-Yasha didn't want to think about. He just scowled at him and started for the exit.  
  
"None of your business, Miroku."  
  
When he got home Inu-Yasha immediately went up to his room and flopped on his bed. He stared at the floppy blue bag where he dropped it on the floor before curiosity got the better of him and he went to retrieve it. Sitting cross-legged on his comforter, Inu-Yasha opened it and unceremoniously dumped everything out, surprised to find what looked like bare necessities and none of the cosmetic junk most other girls he met totted around. The only frivolous thing he saw was the camera, which he picked up and examined, wondering. Putting it down, his eye caught on her non-descript black wallet. Flipping that open, he found her middle school student ID. He stared at the small photo of her smiling face, somehow relaxed and casual as she posed seriously for the picture. Her smooth, black hair fell neatly behind her shoulders, allowing him to clearly appraise her large, expressive eyes, perfect lips, and confident chin. Inu- Yasha's lips curled into his trademark smirk as he remembered those features twisted into a passionate glare, and he scanned the card for her vital information, finding the school she went to, grade, name, and address.  
  
"Hmm...looks like I'll have to pay a visit to Higurashi Kagome."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Answer Corner (or what I can give you without tossing away the entire plot ^^):  
  
Naiya-Chan - First of all, thank you so much for being my first reviewer. I'm terribly sorry I didn't update sooner, but well, I have writing problems. =) This will definitely be Inu/Kag, I'm a strict believer of the coupling and anything else is evil, no matter how gorgeous Sesshoumaru is. ^^ (Please don't hurt me S/K supporters. *cowers*) Kikyo is very cold, isn't she? I'm kind of afraid I made her a little too Sesshoumaru-like. (Again, please don't hurt me. *Sess supporters continue to advance*) I'm not sure if I'll make her warm up, but I will try to tone her down a bit. I'm not trying to make her evil here.  
  
vivian - ^^ As I told Naiya-chan, definitely Inu/Kag. There's no sweeter pairing when it involves those two. However, I'm not out to get Kikyo in this story. I might not like her very much but I don't have a burning desire to see her suffer either. Just have her out of the picture and leave Inu-Yasha and Kagome to get their relationship going. ^^  
  
Kuji and sashlea - I know you guys didn't ask questions but I'll bend the rules this time. I want to thank you for reviewing my first chapter, shabby as it was. I want you both to know how much I appreciate your input. Thank you!  
  
And a last thank you to all reviewers and readers! I promise I'll leave you alone to browse other more worthy stories now. Please come back to read the next chapter!!  
  
Shikigami: *snort* If you ever get off your lazy ass and write it.  
  
Hey! 


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